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Jun 12, 2007 9:26 pm US/Eastern
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Methods Improve To Treat Concussions In NFL
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
It's the one-year anniversary of Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's near-fatal motorcycle crash.
He suffered a concussion, broken jaw and other injuries.
Months later, he suffered another concussion during a game against the Atlanta Falcons.
He walked off the field but for other players, head injuries have had tragic results.
Steeler great Mike Webster, who died an early death, spent his last years disoriented and homeless due to numerous concussions and brain injuries sustained during years of playing center.
"The gentleman who read the MRI of Mike's brain in Cleveland who didn't know who he was said, 'Mr. Webster you look like you've been in a head on collision, were you ever in a head on collision?' And he said, 'Yes. Several thousand of them,'" Dr. Chuck Kelly said.
Webster and his family had to fight the NFL for compensation and prevailed only after his death. But his case called attention to the plight of other players suffering from dementia and depression.
"I think the league probably learned something from the Mike Webster situation," Steelers President Art Rooney, II, said.
He says when the team became aware of the possible affects of concussion about a decade ago, they partnered with UPMC to find new ways of protecting players against the dangers of head injury.
Neuropsychologist Dr. Mark Lovell has been on the forefront of concussion research and preventative care.
"If somebody .. if you're hitting something here and the skull hits, the brain will slide a little bit inside the skull and that releases chemicals in the brain that cause a temporary disruption in things like memory and thinking and reaction time," he explained.
Lovell and his team developed something called baseline testing. Prior to each season, each Steeler is required to take the test which measures memory and retention.
One section shows words in quick succession and the player is tested on his ability to remember them.
If he suffers an injury during the season, he's tested again and the doctors directly compare the two scores.
"This allows us to assess whether there's been any drop in areas like memory, reaction time, speed of reacting, thinking skills and the like," Dr. Lovell said.
Players can't return to practice or games until their brain function returns to previous levels. And if it does not, they could face an early retirement.
Baseline testing has been copied throughout the league and this year, the NFL will require it be done on every player.
"The Steelers were definitely the No. 1 team to adopt this in all of professional sports, not just in the NFL," Dr. Lovell said.
"People have been playing football for a long time and most of the studies I've seen actually say that the equipment is getting better, particularly the helmets, and that it should be actually a safer game today than it was probably 30-some years ago," Rooney said.
The Steelers believe that with other NFL mandated guidelines, including the player's right to sit-out and the proper fitting of helmets, they can bring long-term damage to a minimum and avoid future tragedies like Mike Webster.
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